Gail Borden
Gail Borden Jr. (November 9, 1801 – January 11, 1874) was a native New Yorker who settled in Texas in 1829 (then still Mexico), where he worked as a land surveyor, newspaper publisher, and inventor. He created a process in 1853 to make sweetened condensed milk. Earlier, Borden helped plan the cities of Houston and Galveston in 1836.
Gail Borden | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gail Borden II November 9, 1801 Norwich, New York, US |
| Died | January 11, 1874 (aged 72) Borden, Texas, US |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York City |
| Citizenship | American, Mexican |
| Occupation(s) | county surveyor, cartographer, schoolteacher, newspaper owner, soldier, politician, inventor, businessman |
| Employer(s) | Mexican government, Republic of Texas government, self-employed |
| Known for | Inventing condensed milk |
| Spouse | Penelope Mercer |
| Children | 6 |
| Parent(s) | Gail Borden Sr. (father) and Philadelphia Wheeler (mother) |
| Relatives | Thomas Borden (brother), John Borden (brother) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
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| Years of service | Texian Army (1835–1836) |
| Battles/wars | Texas Revolution |
| Signature | |
Borden's process for making sweetened condensed milk enabled the dairy product to be transported and stored without refrigeration, and for longer periods than fresh milk. After returning to the New York area to market another product, he set up factories for condensed milk in Connecticut, and later in New York and Illinois. Demand by the Union Army was high during the American Civil War. His New York Condensed Milk Company changed its name to Borden Dairy Co. after his death.